Delta variant surge: China reports 85 new COVID-19 cases, Henan province expands lockdown area

China on Thursday reported 85 new coronavirus cases, including 62 new locally transmitted ones, as delta variant of the virus spreads in Chinese cities.

Of the locally transmitted cases, 40 were reported in Jiangsu, nine in Hunan, three each in Beijing, Shandong, Henan and Yunnan, and one in Hubei, according to National Health Commission.

The country has also reported 23 new imported cases. Among these, nine were reported in Shanghai, eight in Yunnan, three in Fujian, two in Guangdong, and one in Shandong, Chinese-state media China Daily reported.

No deaths related to COVID-19 were reported.

Meanwhile, Zhengzhou city in Henan province expanded lockdown area of residential communities and escalated epidemic control as the local outbreak continues to spread within the city

As the new COVID-19 cases have been reported in at least 18 Chinese provinces, experts in the country have raised alarm due to the latest outbreak in the country fuelled by the spread of the Delta variant.

Chinese public health officials on Sunday said the ongoing outbreak is the most serious one since the initial outbreak in Wuhan, Global Times reported. The experts said more efforts are needed to plug the loopholes in the infection control work while stressing the need to advance the mass vaccination drive.

Epidemiologists in the country evaluated that the latest outbreaks are still in the early stages and insist that the situation is under control. However, the disease specialist has expressed concern over the latest outbreak in Zhangjiajie city.

Wuhan city in Central China's Hubei province on Tuesday announced that it will test the city's entire population of 11 million for the coronavirus virus in wake of the recent surge in COVID-19 cases.

The city, which reported the first case of COVID-19 in late 2019, has also upgraded its epidemic response measure, locking down the area where local COVID-19 infections have been reported while upgrading its risk levels, Chinese state media Global Times reported.

( With inputs from ANI )